336

Reviews

KONOSV, S., Divova,A., NoovcFU, T. end HesmMOro,Y. (Laboratory ofMarinaBiochemistry,Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan) . A further eaa^"+++gtion oa

the toxicity ofthree species ofXanthid crab. Bull.Jap. Soc. Fish . 35, 88, 1969 .

TxE Toxzcrn of threo species of xanthid crab,Zosimus aenus, Platypodia granulosa, and Atergatls Jloridus,was determined by a mouse bioassay method . The toxin was detected in the specimens caught at variousplaces around Japan, and a remarkable variation of toxicity was observed in oath species. The appendageswere usuallymorepoisonousthan thecephalothorax . Ina strongly toxicspecimenofZ. aeneus, theexoskeletonof cephalothorax and the viscera contained a considerable amount of toxin, together with the exoskeletonand the muscles of appendages. No obvious difference of lethality was observed between male and female,while a fairly distinct local variation oftoxicity was seen. Z. oeneus was more toxic thaw the others .

B.W.H .

Sct~rsietv, S., T~onox, I. and RAPAPORT,S. I. (Departments of Medicine and Biochemistry,University of Southern California School of Medicine, I.os Angeles, California, U.S.A .)Separation from Russell's viper venom of one fraction reacting with factor S and another

reacting with factor V. Biochemistry 8, 1397, 1969 .

T~ etoTTnva activities in Russell's viper venom which react with either factor Xor Vhave been separatedfrom whole venom by chromatography oa Sophadex G-200.

The fraction activating factor X, which has a molecular weight around 145,000, functions as a catalyst ina calcium-dependent reaction . The fraction reacting with factor V, which has a molecular weight around10,000-20,000, is consumed in a reaction requiring no added cofactors. Neither factor Vactivating fractionnor whole venom appears to react with factor VIII.

(Author's abstract)

Sct~exxövat, W. (Institute of the History of Medicine, University of Erlangen, WestGermany) . Snakebite by Aspidomorphus muelleri. Med. J. Aust. Mar. 8, 516, 1969 .

Txa t.sensx ofa zoological expedition fromWest Germany to Papua in 1966 was bitten twice on the dorsumofthe left thumb by Aspidomorphus muelleri . Severe local pain and oedema, and general pallor, drowsinessand weakness followed . The victim at once cut through the marks with a razor blade but did not succeed incausing satisfactory bleeding . Antivenom was not given but 20 mg of methyl prednisolone and 1~1 ml ofCardiazol were injected i.v. S min after the bite ; the improvement, specially the decrease of vertigo, wasremarkable . Thevictimvomitedseveral times2}hr afterthe bite . The next morninghestill felt slightlydrowsyand the swollenthumb remained numb for several days .

It is believed that this is the first recorded bite byA. muelleri, an elapid species found in the mountains ofWestern NewGuinea and surrounding islands.

H.A.R.

Iieelat~., G. und HewF, A. (Institut fùr organische Chemie, Technische Hochschule, D-61Darmstadt, West Germany) . ÜberSamandaria und verwandte Alkaloide-XIX. Konstitution

und Synthese des Samanins .Justus Liebigs Annln Chem. 722, 155, 1969.

FROG~skin gland secretion ofSalamandra maculo8a taeniata a new alkaloid, anm~nine, hasbeen isolated .By mass and i.r. spectroscopy its structure can be deduced to be l6ß-hydroxy-3-aTa°-A-homo-Sß-androstane.This structure hasbeen confirmedby synthesis. Samanine, thus,is a third type ofSalamandra alkaloid, besidesthe alkaloids with oxazolidine (e.g, samandarine) and those with carbinolamine groupings (e .g. cyclonoo-samaadione).

E.K .

Take,J. C. (Commonwealth SerumLaboratories, Melbourne, Australia). Report ofrecoveryfrom taipan bite. Med. J. Aunt. March 8, 514, 1969.

Ax exr>ixu~rtcen snake collector, aged 46 years, was bitten twice on the right thumb by a taipan, Oxywanusscutelbtus. Five hours after the bite he was restless, vomiting and had some dilüculty in phonatiag andswallowing. Hydrocortisone, calcium gluconate, chlorpromazine and promethazine was given i.v. Later hesuffored acardiac arrest which was treated byexternal cardiac compression, intracardiac adrenaline, insertion

Reviews

337

ofacuffed endotrachealtube andartificial respiration.Brown snakeaativenomwasgiven(inview ofamistakenidentiflcation; it is virtually ineffective against taipan venom) . At this stage pupils wen fixed and ptosis andexteQnal ophthalmoplegia wen present . Haematruia and bloody diarrhoea developed; his blood failed toclot after 1 hr ; then wen200,000 platelets per mm'. He was given a transfusion of whole blood, after whichhis general condition improved and the clotting time was 20 min. Tracheosto~y was performed and assistedrespiration was continued. His condition gradually improved, and he was discharged from hospital 26 daysafter the bite .

The problem of which antivenom to use in Australia in bites by unidentif~d snakes should be largelysolved by the recent development of as effective polyvalent antivenom at the Commonwealth SerumLaboratories.

H.A.R.

Pte, Z. (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel). Prymnesin: The toxin of Prymnesiumparnrm Carter. Rev. Irrbt. Ocearrogr . Med.10, 249, 1968 .

PaYSn~msnv the purified toxin ofPrymrresirrmparvum, aphytofiegellate ofthe orderChrysomorradirra, exhibitsis addition to its lethal action to fishes, hemolytic and cytotoxic activities in vitro, and inhibits contractionofsmooth muscle ofthe guinea pig ileum. Methods for the axenical cultivation ofPrymnesium and the purifica-tion ofprymnesia are described. Prymnesin is a glycolipid of molecular weight of about 23,000 (calculatedfrom sedimentation velocity). Thepolysaccharide moiety (about 70 per cent) is wmposed ofglucose, galactoseand maanose (2:1 :1 M) . The lipidic moiety is composed of four fatty acids (myristic, stearic, palmitic andoleic acid ; 2 : 8 : 2:1 M) . The tn� for Gambraia writand formice is 1 "8f0 "4 wgper 300mg body weight and1 "4f0"3mgperkgreap .

E.K .

I%ux, P. (Pharmakol . l;nst . Univ. Giessen, Germany) . Die Aminosäurensequenz vonMCD-Peptid, einem speaifisch Mastzellen~egranulierendcn Peptid aus Bienengift (Theamino acid sequence ofMCD-peptide, a specificrossgell degranulating peptide ofbeevenom) .

Hoppe-Seyier'sZ. physiol. Chem . 350, 536, 1969 .Br sraverux~L analysis of tryptic and chymotryptic fragments and of the entire peptide the followingsequence has bcen evaluated: IIo-Lys-Gis-Asn-Gis-Lys-Arg-His-Val-Ilo- Lys-Pro-His-IIo-Cys-Arg-Lys-IIe-Gj~s~ly-Lys-Asa-NH, . Position 3-6 (Cys-Asn-Lj~s-Lys) is identical with the N-terminalmoiety of apamin (position 1-4), the neurotoxia of bee venom.

D.M.

Koraru;ti~e, E. andScar,H. (Physiolog. Inst ., University Kiel, Germany). Die Wirkungvon Skorpiongift aufdie ionenstr8m des Raavierschen schnurrings. (Eff'ect of scorpion venomon ionic currents of the node of Rauvier}-II . Unvollstaadige Natrium-Inaktivierung (In-

oomplete sodium inactivation) . PJfi7gers Arch. ges. Physioi. 303, 1S0, 1968 .Ar rm; normal resting potential the sodium permeability of the nodal membrane poisoned by scorpionvenom is mono inactivated than the control. However at large depolari7ations sodium inactivation isincomplete .

D.M.

BA~THALTPT, H. and H~tswvN, E. (Pharmakol. Inst . Univ. Giessen, Germany). Mastzel-lendegreaulierendes Peptid (MCD-Peptid) aus Bienengift : Isolierung, biochemische undpharmakologische Eigenscbafton. (MCD-peptid from bee venom: isolation, biochemicaland pharmacological properties) . Narrnyn-Schmiedebergs Arch. Pharnrak. exp. Path . 261,

2s2,1968 .Fko~a~ venom a third mast cell degranulating (MCD)peptide was isolated by gel filtration and chromato-graphy on CM~elluloae and oa Amberlite IRC-S0. The peptide consists of22 amino acids, is strongly basicand has a minimum molecular weight of 2593. On isolated mast cells of rats (for histamine release) andmesenteric tissue (for meat all degraaulation) MCD-peptide is equiactive with the synthetic histamineliberator compound48/80. Blood pressure ofrats is depressed by the peptide and compound 48/80 in similar